Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version of the Staffordshire Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Questionnaire

Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version of the Staffordshire Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Questionnaire (SQAIS)

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) have gained increasing importance in scoliosis research in recent years. Although widely used instruments such as the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) include domains related to body image, their primary purpose is to assess overall health-related quality of life and functional outcomes. In contrast, the Staffordshire Questionnaire for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (SQAIS) was specifically developed to provide a more detailed and patient-centered evaluation of body image and perceived deformity in individuals with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However, a Turkish version of the questionnaire with established validity and reliability is not currently available.

Therefore, the aim of the planned master's thesis is to conduct the cultural adaptation of the Staffordshire Questionnaire for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis into Turkish and to evaluate its psychometric properties in adolescents with AIS. The study will involve a systematic process of linguistic translation and cross-cultural adaptation. Subsequently, the validity and reliability of the Turkish version will be assessed through analyses of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and criterion validity.

The findings of this study are expected to provide a valid and reliable instrument for assessing body image and deformity perception among Turkish adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis, thereby contributing an important patient-centered outcome measure to both clinical practice and research.

Inclusion Criteria

• Aged between 10 and 19 years.
• Diagnosed with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) by an orthopedic surgeon or spine specialist.
• Able to read and understand Turkish.

Exclusion Criteria

• Diagnosis of congenital, neuromuscular, or syndromic scoliosis.
• History of severe neurological, psychiatric, or cognitive disorders.
• Presence of communication impairments that may interfere with understanding or completing the questionnaires.
• History of major trauma or spinal surgery within the previous 6 months.